FireKeepers revenue board to offer $185,000 in grants

MARSHALL – The FireKeepers Local Revenue Sharing Board will offer $185,000 in grants to government units in Calhoun County.

The board — which includes Art Kale, Jim Dyer, Dan Ryan, Greg Moore and Tim Hill — unanimously voted Friday to make the money available for grants, according to a news release. Applications will be sent out in early July and are due back to the county by Sept. 5. Last year, the grants helped fund several projects throughout the county, including restoration of the Bohm Theatre in Albion, improvements to the Athens Village Library and a joint Science Technology Engineering and Match (STEM) project for Marshall and Albion school districts.

The money is part of 2 percent of FireKeeper Casino Hotel’s annual slot machine revenue. The bulk of it goes to governments losing tax revenue because the casino and the tribe’s Pine Creek Reservation are untaxable. About $5.1 million in payments was authorized by the board Friday.